


An Empty Place at Dinner

by Night_StormCaptain



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Angst, Multi, Sora's mom is named Sky Shimizu, and I love her so you'll probably be seeing more of her in my writing, but that's kind of the point, post kh3, wow that's a lot of characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-04 10:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18341702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_StormCaptain/pseuds/Night_StormCaptain
Summary: Five years ago, those who disappeared with Sora returned without him.  There is someone at home who sorely misses him.





	An Empty Place at Dinner

For years, Sky Shimizu has desperately missed her son.  Five years ago, those who disappeared with him returned without him, bearing tears and apologies and tales of his heroism.  She loves her son’s friends, and she loves hearing stories about the young man he grew into, but it isn’t enough. It’s never enough.

Every evening, Sky makes dinner.  Some nights she sits alone, picking at her plate and staring out at the evening sky as the stars begin to come out, wondering which of those stars her son is on.  She sets a place for him every night.

Other nights, friends come to visit.  Lea and Isa come to call from time to time, sometimes staying for dinner, sometimes just stopping for a chat.  They tell their stories as well, and explain that they’ve made it their personal quest to atone for all the harm they’ve caused.  Sky thinks the young husbands are an admirable pair, and when they cannot stay for dinner, she sends them with snacks for the road.  She envies their chance to keep busy and keep moving forward.

Some of her strangest visitors are a dog and a duck calling themselves Goofy and Donald.  Sky might once have found this strange, but after living in Traverse Town for a time and learning of other worlds, she has grown used to such creatures.  They have strange ways of speaking, boundless energy, and loads of stories, few of them coherent. She gathers that they cared about her son as much as anyone and spent more time with him than most.  She is grateful to them for that, and for the smile they never fail to bring to her face.

Occasionally, Sky receives a royal visitor, though King Mickey hardly seems set on formalities.  He apologizes over and over for what happened to Sora, until Sky has to shove food in his mouth to get him to be quiet.  Then, like the others, he tells stories. He’s an odd sort, Sky thinks, but lively and earnest, and she enjoys his visits.

Sometimes Ventus, Roxas, and Xion come to visit.  Though they are all different, they share a unique connection.  They tell Sky their stories, and she marvels at the strength of her son’s heart.  They tell her that sometimes their hearts twinge and they can feel him out there. He is out there somewhere.  Sky thanks them for telling her. As soon as they are gone and she is left alone, she cries with relief and longing.

Naminé is a frequent visitor.  With no family of her own, it isn’t long before she begins to consider Sky a mother figure.  She tells her story, and at first Sky is shocked, uncertain how to feel, but she recognizes that Naminé truly cared for Sora — and even if she hadn’t, she needs a home and a mother, and that is something Sky can provide.  It isn’t long before she moves in, and her presence eases the ache somewhat.

Some of Sky’s favorite visitors, infrequent though their visits may be, are the young couple of Keyblade Masters responsible for the Land of Departure.  Terra and Aqua work tirelessly to train new Keyblade wielders and rebuild the worlds, but their true labor of love is raising their daughter Storm. Her bright eyes and wild hair remind Sky of her son at that age, and the little girl is like a breath of fresh air in her life.  Instead of telling the stories of their suffering, the Keyblade Masters tell Sky about the happy things — about training together as children, meeting Ven, falling in love, and their little family. They tell Sky that even when everything seems dark, there is light ahead, and there is hope that her son will return.  She hopes with all her heart that they’re right.

Though they are busy with Keyblade responsibilities, Riku and Kairi stop by as often as they can.  The young couple seem cheerful and well-adjusted, but there is a sadness around their eyes, and Sky knows they are aching, an emptiness in their hearts where Sora should be.  She knows the feeling well. Some nights, they all hold each other and cry for him.

Some nights, though, Naminé is out with friends, and her visitors all have other engagements, and so Sky is left on her own.  On these nights, she picks up the dishes, cleaning even the untouched plate and silverware from Sora’s vacant place setting. She puts away the leftovers of dinner, if there are any, then puts on her shoes and goes outside just as the sun is vanishing below the horizon.  More stars come into view as she rows out to the island where her son used to play. There she stays for a while, watching the stars and thinking. Just thinking. Remembering. Imagining. And if she thinks and remembers and imagines hard enough, sometimes she can almost hear a happy-go-lucky laugh and see her little boy racing across the sand to say hello.


End file.
